Mercy and Malice
by Gryphox
Summary: An unusual client kicks open the door to their office, and his eye-opening case brings Muhyo and Roji to finally confront old issues.
1. An Unwelcome Guest

Roji sat alone in the gleaming sunlight, frantically searching for a document that was lost underneath the piles of paperwork covering the desk. More and more cases popped up for the experienced executor and his growing assistant to solve, causing the smaller things to build into something hugely annoying and tedious. Muhyo, however, ignored that flow and shrank down into a sleeping heap on the couch. Roji normally wouldn't have minded if it weren't for the numerous tasks that needed to be done right away.

"Muhyo, could you pass me my phone? It's right there on the coffee table." He mentioned it's convenient location in hopes that it would encourage the lazy boy to help him out.

"Feh, get it yourself." Muhyo turned his back to the neglected device, demonstrating his obstinate attitude when his sleeping time was on the line.

Roji sighed and retrieved the phone swiftly before returning to his place at the desk, reordering the paperwork and looking over his list. He suddenly remembered that he also needed to go grocery shopping, and sucked his teeth as he picked up a pile to straighten it out.

_Ugh, there's so much to do._ Roji thought, absentmindedly readjusting the straying pages of the pile._ I hope we don't have another case anytime soon._

Just then, the door flew open and swung into the wall. The impact caused some of the books on the shelf to fly from their previous placement and the papers in Roji's hands to do the same.

The light-haired boy responsible for the discord eyed the bureau askance and huffed. He wore a white suit with a light-blue pleated, frilled collar. He had a noble mien that quickly turned immature as he marched forward and threw himself onto the couch with enough force to move it back a couple of inches. He lifted his polished shoes onto the table and folded his arms behind his head with closed eyes.

"You guys Muhyo and Roji?"

Muhyo finally gained enough interest to sit back up and take a position similar to the intruder's. "Yep, that's us. Whaddaya need?"

The boy opened his eyes to look Muhyo over and squinted. "Who's this runt?"

"EXCUSE ME?" Muhyo's nonchalant demeanor was immediately dropped as he prepared to lunge out of his seat.

Roji immediately moved to Muhyo's side to prevent him from harming the customer, even though he wanted to do the same. "This… is Toru Muhyo, our executor."

"...Oh."

"OH?" Roji tightened his grip on Muhyo and pushed him back down.

"AAANYWAY," Roji decided it was about time that they got back to business. He took his seat next to Muhyo and prepared to jot down the details. "would you mind introducing yourself?"

"Oh, yeah." The guest planted his feet on the floor, unfolded his arms and clasped his hands together. "I'm Giohan. I'm here because of this ghost problem I have. Go fix it."

"Umm, we're going to need a little more information on this ghost in order to help you out." Roji's patience was running thin, but this attitude seemed fine by Muhyo.

"It's nothing big, just my old deceased assistant, Miyu."

"Wait, what?"

"That good-for-nothing coward who would tag along whenever I had a ghost to get rid of. He's almost as big as a burden now as he was before."

Roji was impelled to deny him their service, but he wasn't that dissolute. "You're an executor too? Why don't you take care of it yourself?"

Giohan looked baffled. "Are you crazy? I'm not gonna do all that work by myself. Not until I find myself another assistant."

"Right… so when and where does he usually stick around?"

"He hasn't tried to pull anything off yet since I always have a ton of guards at my disposal. However, he's been trying to lure me here."

Giohan handed Roji a crumpled piece of paper that appeared much older than it probably was. On it was an address scribbled down in black ink which soaked through the thin material. The words were barely legible as it seemed that the writer's hands were trembling violently as he wrote this.

"An abandoned warehouse?" Muhyo huffed as he recalled the address from a case he solved in the past. "How unoriginal."

"Giohan… why would he want you here?" Roji glanced up at Giohan who simply shrugged in response.

"Well, now you know. Go take care of it already."

Roji's brow twitched. "We'll be there at 7 p.m. The haunt is most likely to show itself at night."

"...Feh." With all said and done, Giohan stood, smoothed down his suit jacket, and left the room without so much as a goodbye. Not even a move to shut the door he so rudely opened.

"Geez, Muhyo, can you believe that guy? He was so rude, I… Muhyo?"

Muhyo snored in response and Roji knew that he was going to have to finish all that work alone.


	2. The Impenetrable Darkness

As the day progressed, the clouds grew darker and denser until any sources of light the night sky could've offered was completely blocked off, leaving the streetlights to be the only ones they had left. When Muhyo, Roji, and Giohan arrived at the warehouse, it was beginning to drizzle. Roji found the inauspicious scene quite similar to any episode of "The Mad Detective", and suspected that Muhyo was enjoying it.

"Wow. It's a lot more… foreboding than I imagined." Roji shivered, reluctant to see what anathema awaited them.

"Whatever," Muhyo began to walk ahead when even Giohan hesitated. "let's just go inside. It's starting to rain."

The slight, unnoticeable drizzling was on its way to becoming pouring rain, so they all rushed inside as quietly as they could. The interior of the warehouse smelled like burnt plastic and the air was thick with dust. Roji handed out the flashlights he had packed earlier, stopping when he heard Giohan's voice reverberate throughout the building.

"We should split up."

Muhyo and Roji turned their attention to Giohan, whose posture was slightly curved in loss of confidence. It was also visible in the way he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and how he couldn't keep eye contact. This wasn't what Roji expected from the boy who kicked their door open.

"We'll never find that thing if we check one place at a time. I'll take Midget here, you go alone."

Muhyo immediately tensed up and grit his teeth. "It's.. Muhyo."

"Yeah, yeah."

Roji was completely against the idea. How could Muhyo just assent to this jerk's demands?

"No," Roji turned so that he faced Giohan fully. "I should go with Muhyo, I'm his assistant. Besides, if you come across the ghost, you'll just be able to execute it yourself, right?"

Giohan promptly straightened his back and clenched his fists. "I already told you! I'm waiting until I can find a new assistant!"

"It's just one ghoul, and you said he wasn't that bad. You should be able to handle this."

"No way. I'm sticking with Muhyo."

"But-"

"Enough!" Muhyo was impossibly annoyed by the lengthy exchange. "Both of you! Let's get moving already."

"Muhyo, are you sure?" Roji doubted that Giohan would be able to help Muhyo if he needed it.

"Of course I'm sure. So shut up and leave, already." With that, Muhyo swiftly turned and sped away. Roji left, slightly offended, and decided that some time away from Muhyo would be much appreciated.

"Wow, sorry for worrying about you Muhyo!" The soles of his shoes shuffled on the cool, dirtied concrete. Pebbles that were struck by his feet fled from the agitated clerk. "I do literally all I can to help, and he just keeps yelling! Geez…"

After a moment of simply wandering around and ranting all the way, Roji spotted a faint, cool mist coming from an array of wooden crates. He tried to delay his venture into the darkness by pointing his flashlight in that direction, but it was no use. The light couldn't penetrate the darkness for more than a few feet past the first crate, so whatever lay waiting there was an enigma. He considered calling Muhyo over, but it could've just been an illusion. Plus, he wasn't willing to deal with him at the moment. So he moved onwards, his hand instinctively hovering over his pen.

The thin, transparent trail Roji initially found was now widespread as he neared the source. Some of the crates were cracked open, and the old toys with their faded paint were exposed.

However, as the mist's opacity grew and Roji continued, the toys in the crates were no longer just dusty or faded. It was more obvious that the wooden boxes were torn open, and the toys inside were dismembered. Dolls with missing arms, stuffed animals with legs ripped off, and other brutally dismembered figurines. Roji, greatly disturbed by the display, decided to ignore them for a while as he advanced. That itself became a challenge as some crates were pushed over and their contents scattered. Climbing over it all wasn't what hindered Roji's progress. It was what he saw.

Now, the toys weren't just missing parts, they'd apparently been impaled as well. The figurines' chests were poked through, as well as their eyes. If they were smiling, it was no longer discernable since their mouths were melted.

Roji's movements were sluggish and stiff with fear. He came to a full stop when something crunched underneath his right foot. He gulped, and cautiously lifted his leg to observe what he'd trampled. It was a plastic heart.

He stared ahead and noticed an abundance of hearts littering the ground, along with eyes plucked from the faces of delicate dolls. Soon, the light of his flashlight shone upon all of the missing pieces, which were collected into a massive pile before him. Roji opened his mouth, ready to call for Muhyo, but silenced himself when he noticed the pile moving. Something was trying to escape from underneath.

Roji was frozen in trepidation as plastic limbs, hearts, and eyes fell off the form that was emerging from beneath them. The toys fell to the floor from the top of the pile as they parted to reveal a head covered with thin, wiry hair. The light of the flashlight failed to reach the tight nooks of its wrinkled visage and was lost in the dull surface of its rotting teeth. But what stood out most were the eyes. Or where they were supposed to be.

The sockets were empty and impossibly dark. Roji was tempted to let his light drift into them, just to get a glimpse of how deep the gaps were. But the exposure of its long, bony frame pried him to retreat as slowly and silently as he could.

It was Miyu.


	3. Relations and Revelations

The ghost heaved out a sigh, and lifted the rest of his emaciated frame out of the pile. His arms were literally skin and bone, almost causing Roji to wonder how it moved at all. Apparently, Miyu developed an extra pair of arms as they rose over his head and showed off three razor-sharp talons. His chest was bare and his ribcage protruded dramatically through the thin, pale skin. As Roji's gaze went down the ghost's lurid form, his eyes suddenly widened once they came across the huge gap where his heart belonged. The torn, sagging skin failed to conceal the cracked bones underneath, and the veins dangled and trembled without the vital organ.

"You… You know what it's like."

Roji tripped and fell backwards, landing harshly in a pile of plastic limbs. He suddenly felt them grasping at his tremulous form, and found that moving was incredibly difficult with the hard material digging into his skin. His desperation to flee was enhanced by the ghoul's advancements, but to no avail.

His raspy voice was so quiet that the walls failed to hear it and echo his words about the facility. "You know what it feels like… being treated as if you're worthless."

Roji ceased his writhing, barely sensing that the toys stopped, too.

"You work so hard, yet you receive no recognition. You've made so many sacrifices, but you're only prompted to give more."

Roji slowly reached for his pen, but much to his consternation, he caught one of the dolls running away with it. He lunged forward to get it back, but the toys restored their grasp. "Ah, no!"

"Why do you still care?"

Roji gradually turned his head back to the ghost, which still hadn't moved from its perch atop the pile of limbs.

"Your partner clearly doesn't."

Roji's thoughts were a mess as the ghost began moving towards him, his nails clicking with every step forward. "I… I was like you once…"

Miyu stepped closer. "Abused."

And closer. "Ignored."

Closer. "Pushed away."

He stopped a foot away from Roji's entangled legs. The flashlight that Roji dropped long ago caused the shadows to fall on Miyu's face, but still nothing was darker than the sockets of his eyes. Roji couldn't breath knowing any breath could be his last.

"M… Muh-" he tried calling out, but he was cut off. He wouldn't have been heard anyway.

"He won't help you. He doesn't want to." The tight, rotting skin caused the ghost to appear as if he always wore a smile.

"Th-that's not true! He…."

"He what? He yells at you for being useless, and he doesn't assist you when you need him."

The cracked plastic and burnt rubber held him back no more, and Roji discretely inched backwards. Miyu showed no concern, and continued to speak.

"I… I was like you once," he repeated. "I watched over him and tried to protect him. I tore out my eyes so I would stop." He began crawling forward. "I always followed him, trying to keep up. I tore off my legs so I would stop."

Roji was suddenly aware of the slithering and dragging noises that accompanied its every move. The faint light illuminated the guts that hung from the ghoul's bottom half. Roji's back hit a crate and its contents fell onto his stomach. They were all porcelain eyes, the ones found in dolls whose gazes were meant to follow the owner.

"I always cared. I thought... I loved him." The ghost stretched forward until its face was mere inches from Roji's.

"I tore out my heart. So I would stop."

He couldn't take it. He wouldn't. Of course Muhyo cared, of course Muhyo would always help. That was what partners did, right?

"Soooon… sooon…"

The small hint of doubt planted into his mind evolved into something tumultuous and Roji hyperventilated as the spirit reached for his face. The sharp talons glinted in the dimming light and revealed what was behind them.

_Eyes?_ Roji observed the swollen lids with tears that leaked onto his uniform._ But he said he got rid of them! That means… he still cares?_

The assistant remained still for a moment longer, and resolved to console the broken spirit. He pushed himself up so that he sat straight, ready to set things right. Before he could say a word, however, the floor beneath Miyu split in half and he fell past jagged teeth into the fiery pit that awaited it.

He was sentenced to Hades' Dinner.

"Go to Hell."

Muhyo walked out from behind the crate with Giohan close behind. Giohan's confident air and perfect posture were restored when he sensed no traces of the ghost remaining.

"Muhyo!" Roji scrambled towards Muhyo in a rush to get his attention. "Muhyo, wait! That's wrong! He needs to go to hea-"

Giohan cut him off and shoved him back. "Shut up, you fool! Don't you know anything about magic law?"

Roji heard the gap seal shut, thoroughly completing the sentence. Tears threatened to spill as he realized there was no way he could help him get to heaven now. "But Muhyo, he still-"

"Silence!" Muhyo faced Roji with a deathly glare that made him flinch back. "Where're your pen and wards? How could you let yourself get cornered like that?"

"I-I…" He went silent, too shaken up to think coherently. Muhyo's disapproving gaze certainly wasn't helping him disregard what the ghoul had told him.

"Bah, whatever. Go find your pen already." Muhyo turned to the exit, his cape following his every move. "I should fire you for that, but I'm starving."

"Me too." Giohan leaned against the crates and checked his nails. "Get us something to eat."

Roji left him and Muhyo to chat as he searched for his pen. He wasn't sure how he'd find it until he caught sight of the doll that ran off with it. It had collapsed at some point in time, launching the pen a couple of feet ahead. Roji picked it up and discovered the doll's arm beneath it. It's hand pointed to some place to his right, where an evanescent mist glided along the concrete. Curiously, Roji followed its directions and found a bronze musicbox. Its corners were decorated with gold, and the center of the top was occupied by a scarlet heart that seemed to glow despite the darkness of the warehouse. It was opened ever so slightly, and Roji could see dust falling out.

He clasped his hands to his mouth in a feeble attempt to stifle his crying, and the tears that threatened to fall poured out freely. The ghost's… no… Miyu's words echoed in his mind.

_Soooon… sooon…_

Roji stood and wiped his tears away. He'd make sure that that would never happen. Muhyo was nothing like that.

_Muhyo_…


	4. Just A Burden

When he returned to the bureau, he found Muhyo and Giohan sitting on the couch with their arms folded and feet on the table. They appeared to be mirror images of one another.

Recalling their requests for snacks, Roji walked over to the kitchen and began to prepare sandwiches.

"Yo, hurry up!" Giohan called from his spot on the couch. "We're starving!"

Muhyo's growling voice could be heard from the kitchen, but his words weren't as clear. It could have just been his stomach growling. Roji prepared the bread and gathered all the ingredients required. When he opened the bag containing the ham slices, he was greeted with a putrid odor. He forgot, the ham had expired weeks ago. "Shoot, Muhyo-"

"We don't need your incessant whining!" Giohan answered in his place. "Hurry up and serve us our food!"

The first-clerk was thoroughly ticked off. He finished preparing the sandwiches, Muhyo's hissing in the background as important to him as the buzz of a fly. Roji entered the room with a plate in each hand and tossed them into the executors' laps. "Here. Enjoy."

Giohan bit into his and spit it out immediately. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Muhyo took the hint and put his sandwich back down. He eyed Roji expectantly. "What's this?"

Roji folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe leading to the kitchen. "Your snack. I tried to tell you that the meat was expired. It wouldn't have been if you had at least reminded me to add that to our grocery list."

Giohan scoffed. "Whatever."

He stood from the couch and stomped to the door, which he flung open once more. He left the bureau without so much as a thank you, good night, or farewell. Roji strode to the door as calmly as he could, and used all his willpower to prevent himself from slamming it.

All the while, Muhyo eyed his stressed assistant, curious of his wellbeing. However, he was exhausted from the last execution, and found himself drifting off in his seat.

Muhyo yawned and plopped his feet back onto the carpet. "I'm going to bed. Don't ever serve me expired food again."

"Sure." Roji responded through clenched teeth. With tightening fists at his sides, he quickly made his way into his room.

"Yo, it's pretty cold, could you get me-" Roji slammed his bedroom door before Muhyo could finish his request. Muhyo laid in his bed staring at the wooden door, expecting to hear sniffling from the other side. When he was met with silence, he began drifting off to sleep while preparing for the cold night ahead.

The next morning, Muhyo woke up somewhat surprised that he wasn't freezing. There was an extra layer of blankets on top of him, placed there by Roji, after he fell asleep.

Muhyo remembered the events from last night and hopped out of bed to confront his assistant. He stopped before the desk, however, as a small note resting on its polished surface caught his attention.

_Out shopping. -Roji_

"Hmph." Muhyo wandered over to the couch, picked up the latest copy of Jabin, and started reading. Soon after, he tossed the book onto the table and drifted into the kitchen, where he looked for anything in the fridge that could satiate his growing hunger. He found nothing worth his time, so he resorted to sitting on the office chair and waiting until Roji got back. The unusual image of the angry clerk nagged at his mind, however, and he decided to put on his cape and go look for him.

It took him a while to find Roji, the assistant having deviated greatly from his usual shopping route. Muhyo searched around the marketplace, making sure to pass by Roji's favorite stores and even following the flyers on the walls that promised great deals. There was still no trace of the troubled boy.

Muhyo figured that he probably finished shopping and returned to the bureau, so he left the street fair he was investigating to meet Roji back home. He stopped when he came across a fallen bag of groceries, its contents scattered upon the sidewalk, ruined. There was a commotion coming from the alleyway to his right, and he walked towards it, hoping silently that his idiot wasn't involved. Unfortunately, he found that Roji was actually the center of attention.

Roji was backed up against a wall as three unsteady strangers surrounded him, each with a bottle in their hands. Muhyo could hear their drunkenness in their slurred speech and hideous laughter.

_Not again,_ he thought. He roughly shoved one of the drunkards aside, grabbed Roji by the collar, and began tugging him away.

"'Ey, where're ya goin'? C'mon, we were jus' kiddin' around!" The other two tried to follow them, but Muhyo shot them the coldest glare he could muster. They immediately stopped and quickly looked away as if uninterested. Muhyo huffed and shoved Roji towards the bureau.

The door to the empty home swung open and Roji flew through, falling onto the cold polished floor. He pushed himself up onto his knees, but then immediately flipped over and slid deeper into the office as Muhyo entered, slamming the door behind him.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" He stomped forward, towering over Roji for a change as the assistant struggled to keep his distance from the furious executor.

"I-I..." Roji stammered as he desperately tried to scramble away from Muhyo.

"Why were those guys pushing you around like that? More importantly, why did you let them?!" Muhyo's footsteps thumped almost as hard as Roji's heartbeat.

"Muhyo, wai-!"

"How can I expect you to help me take care of ghosts when you can't even take care of yourself?!"

Roji froze up completely. His heart stopped pounding in his chest and his eyes lost focus on the executor's vehement glare. Muhyo missed the signs, and continued to reprimand him. "Geez, it's hard enough running this place already! Why can't y-"

"How would you know?"

Muhyo halted, taken aback by Roji's newfound attitude. There was something oddly belligerent in his expression, inadvertently seeping into the tone of Muhyo's venomous response. "Excuse me?"

"How would you know how hard it is?" Roji rose to his feet and stood over Muhyo with shoulders squared. "You never do anything around here!"

Muhyo attempted to back out from underneath the shadow that covered him. He snarled at his assistant's ignorant response. "Why, you-"

"I do all of the housework, all of the shopping for everything and anything we need, as well as pay the bills, the rent, and whatever else needs to be paid off." Roji kept walking forwards as Muhyo stepped back. Muhyo's expression grew spiteful as his back met the door, leaving him with no escape from the first-clerk's rant. "And what do you do? You sleep, read Jabin, watch T.V., and insult me! You never show any appreciation! It's like I'm just a burden to you!"

Muhyo, tired of the nonsense and Roji's ridiculous attitude, said the first thing that came to mind that would get the infuriated assistant off his back. "That's because you are!"

Roji immediately backed away, his bottom lip trembling. He observed Muhyo's expression, desperately searching for any hints of dishonesty. He couldn't perceive anything in Muhyo's cold stare besides hatred, and was brought back to his encounter with Miyu, the ghost's words echoing in his mind.

_Sooon…. sooooon…. _

Roji couldn't handle his glare with that haunting memory. His eyes flickered rapidly along the patterns on the floor as he pondered what to do next. His decision wasn't quite right, and was certainly not reasonable.

"Muhyo…. I…" Roji blinked his tears back and sent an apologetic look to his boss. "I'm sorry…"

"Roji-!"

Muhyo was roughly pushed to the side as Roji flung the door open and ran out, allowing the momentum of his departure to close the door behind him. It slammed shut, blowing the hair away from Muhyo's furrowed brows. He made a move to run after him, but stopped when the phone on the desk started to ring. He strode to pick it up, and realized that the exigency of the case gave him no time to find his assistant.

He'd have to work on it alone.


	5. A Peak At The Past

Roji used to come here often as a kid. In fact, it was where he encountered his first ghost, and where he was inspired to become an executor himself. Well, try, at least. It was his retreat when he needed a quieter place to think about better things. It was a commodious resort, and Roji had enjoyed it despite the rumors that surrounded it back then. Roji didn't consider how fortunate he was to have his new office so close to this old house. Despite its proximity, Roji was still gasping for breath by the time he reached the abandoned wooden building.

With the stressful turn of events and the memory of Miyu fresh in his mind, Roji decided that a bit of peaceful nostalgia was just what he needed at the moment. He stepped onto the rotting planks that led to the porch, its wooden material groaning beneath his weight and threatening to snap. He reached for the knob of the door only to find that it was already slightly opened, and needed only a push.

Roji stepped inside, taking in the familiar scent of old books and the soothing tone of the faded paper on the walls. He sighed softly and slowly walked towards the back of the establishment where the dusty couch waited for him with its collection of classics resting on the shelf adjacent to it. The floorboards creaked underneath his light footsteps and Roji savored every sound.

All of a sudden, a blood-curdling scream pierced the silence. Roji flinched violently, and stilled as he waited for any further disturbance to confirm whether or not it was all his imagination. He heard a cry for help and without a second thought ran up the staircase, searching for the source.

His eyes surveyed the broad hallway and stopped when they met a small puddle of blood that had dripped from the slim, unnoticeable cracks in the ceiling. Roji saw the door to the attic wide open and the ladder resting flat on the floor beneath the square opening. Roji's reluctance to pick up the filthy object was nullified by his desire to save whoever was trapped in the cramped compartment. He rested the moldy wood against the opening and climbed up just enough to peek into the attic.

"Hey!" He glanced around the confined space for the person in need. "Is everything alright? Are you hu-"

Suddenly, the ladder was pushed back down and Roji fell to the hard floors, the impact stunning him momentarily. He shook it off and braced himself for another strike, as what pushed him down was already descending to meet him.


	6. Crossing Paths

It took Muhyo a while to find the address, and he feared that he may have misheard the directions given by the girl's quivering voice. He could have been looking for someplace that didn't even exist. However, after asking a couple of passersby for directions, he finally stood before an old house that rested alone on a hill. The paint on its exterior had faded away, revealing the dark, rough surfaces of the wood of which it was made. He was surprised that it was still standing since the damage from the harsh storms it had bared over the years was obvious, and looked like it would shake with any step taken inside. Muhyo caught a quick flash of movement in the small window at the top of the house, and headed inside with his book ready.

It was silent save for the faint creaking of the floorboards beneath Muhyo's heavy shoes. There was something odd in the uneven texture of the wood in the hall, but Muhyo decided to save it for another time, the attic his current priority.

He struggled with the first step since it had snapped in half, its sides upturned in harsh slopes and the center leading to some dark place far below. The prominent imperfections were present on the top floor, too, and the elongated streaks lead to a ladder on the floor that was missing a few steps. The sight prompted Muhyo to look up, and saw the small opening to the attic with its indents meant for it.

_Oof,_ Muhyo thought as he imagined the difficulty of getting himself over those gaps._ This is gonna be tough. It'd be much easier if…_

He stopped himself immediately, straightened himself up, and went for the ladder. He couldn't afford to become distracted by his missing assistant. He brought the ladder to the entrance and shifted its placement until the top ends clicked into place. Holding his book tight to his chest, Muhyo used his right arm to pull his body past the gaps and into the attic. He lunged forward, prepared to fight anything that came at him. The only souls waiting for him were the ones that had called for his help.

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought you were that thing…" The poor girl trembled as she recalled the traumatizing events that started it all. Muhyo's gaze landed on the unconscious girl in her arms. There was a huge gash in her shoulder and her neck was horribly discolored due to the dark bruises that coated it. The ghost could have easily finished the job, and looked like it was darn close, too. Why did it stop?

"Is she alright?" The damage done shouldn't have been fatal, as it appeared to have made no further progress after Muhyo studied her wounds. "What happened?"

The girl's tousled black hair draped over her face as she turned to her injured friend. "I-I don't know. It all happened so fast. I opened the door to the basement and then Cera pushed me out of the way. That… monster grabbed her by the neck and flew up the stairs with her. When I finally caught up, I found it w-with it's tongue embedded in her shoulder. That's when I called you. But then it suddenly dropped her and left while mumbling something, I couldn't hear it…"

Muhyo took a moment to contemplate the events that took place. A ghoul like this wouldn't just leave. It was deprived of energy, and wasn't likely to cease its consumption for anything. It could have been just a warning, but still…

"It came back." Muhyo ceased his pondering in favor of listening to the brunette's continuation. "It came back here and flew to the corner opposite of us. I screamed for help, and then some guy came with a ladder and tried coming up here. She pushed him back down and went after him, and left us here alone."

Muhyo cursed under his breath. Of course some idiot passerby had to try and be a hero. He recalled the marks that streaked down the stairs and continued in the hall of the first floor. He imagined the stranger being pushed over and then dragged down the stairs as he desperately clawed at the floorboards for something to catch onto, anything to stop his demise.

He prepared to pursue the trails, hoping that he wasn't too late until he heard a quiet, forced breath behind him.

"That's what… she said…" Cera winced with every breath she took, determined to get her message through. "Her feast had finally… arrived… Something about a young… swallow, too…"

Muhyo put the pieces together, thinking carefully about what the ghost was after. When the puzzle was complete, Muhyo jumped up and slid down the ladder. He ran, eyes following the scratch marks on the floor at a pace he wished he could follow.

_That idiot!_ Muhyo flew down the staircase, jumping over the broken step at the end and fighting the momentum of his landing to reach that door at the end of the hall. _Always getting himself into trouble!_

He ran down the hall and with some difficulty stopped before the door where the streaks ended. Blood seeped out from underneath the heavy wooden door, and there were cracks branching out from the doorway due to the force of its closure.

Muhyo imagined the worst, his assistant's current tendency to get stuck at the most inappropriate times worrying him to no end.

He wasted no time in tearing the door open, the rusted hinges immediately falling apart and releasing the door from their support.

_Roji! _


	7. The Lost and The Lonely

Muhyo prayed that whatever he stepped in wasn't Roji.

An eerie mass of skinless flesh pulsated as it rested on the first step to the basement. Muhyo grimaced as every spasm caused it to crawl across the leather of his shoes. He swung his leg forward in an attempt to send it toppling down the staircase, but it only flipped over as the rest of its gruesome form had attached itself to the second step as well.

And the third. Fourth. Fifth.

In fact, as Muhyo gazed downwards, squinting to see what the dim, flickering light at the very bottom could reveal, he found that the fleshy ligaments were connected to the walls as well. They continued to engulf the limited space on the walls, tearing apart the peeling wallpaper that stood in their way.

The foggy bulb gave one last flicker before shorting out completely, leaving the evils below to proceed in secrecy. Muhyo clicked his tongue and opened his book. He prepared one of the emergency magic laws and a bright beam of light pierced through the thick darkness, allowing him to see the damage done in great detail.

Streams of ropy sinew slithered and struggled to repair the burnt meat on the walls surrounding the stairs. Muhyo hopped down the steps as fast as he could while trying to avoid slipping on the unstable material. Similar craters of varied sizes littered the rest of the room below, their missing pieces scattered about the floor. Muhyo was relieved to see that his assistant had put up quite a fight, and knew there was still time to save him. He immediately spotted the door that they went through since there was no other opening present. He sprinted towards it and threw it open, ignoring the appalling view of its collision with the pink clumps that clung to the adjacent wall.

Muhyo lept forward, realizing too late that there were no stairs beyond that door. There wasn't a solid floor to land on either. Instead, Muhyo fell hard into the flesh-formed tunnel that failed to cushion his drop. He ignored the dull pain as he slid down its sloped, greasy texture and focused on reaching his assistant as quickly as possible, completely unsure of the challenges that awaited him.

- Ω -

Bursts of light tossed themselves against the fleshy walls, throwing off any darkness previously attached in a flurry of sparks and stray sinew. The sharp crackling that accompanied them bounced off the walls rapidly as multiple blasts were set off at once. Every impact caused the ground to shake and the walls to quiver, but none of them came in contact with the elusive ghoul that pursued Roji.

The assistant was exhausted, his breath becoming heavier with each ward he tossed. One after the other, the wards of dissipation continuously missed their target that glided on every surface of the cavern they fought in.

"Damn it!" Roji wheezed as yet another spell missed. He was running out of energy, fast. The hideous serpent's strikes were getting closer and closer as Roji's movements were growing sluggish. Roji's brain pounded against his skull, causing the numerous beads of sweat to fall faster. The slight distraction gave the ghost a chance to just nick his shoulder. Roji grunted in pain as he fought to keep his balance.

He didn't have much time left. His tempering was draining faster than he could recover it and for a brief moment, Roji thought about how much easier it would be to just let the ghost consume him. But then he remembered Miyu's haunting words and was determined to prove them wrong by surviving without the help of his powerful executor.

Roji dodged another attack made by the spirit and used whatever remaining tempering he could muster to throw five wards of dissipation in the direction of the ghost. It was finally struck off the slick walls, crashing into the ground a few feet ahead of Roji. Roji allowed his sore, tense shoulders to finally drop and began walking towards its writhing form, prepared to inscribe a direct ward of binding. However, he soon discovered that his legs were unusually heavy. He felt as if he was treading through thick snow, the sudden numbness of his legs adding to the experience.

His lightheadedness got the best of him and Roji collapsed as his wards fell at their own paces and pen rolled away as his arm hit the ground. The ghoul halted and slithered over to him, coiling its slimy worm-like body and bringing its wrinkly feline head close to his. It cackled in his face, baring its fangs that still dripped with venom.

_So that's… what got me…_ Roji watched as the ghost circled his limp form, investigating him for any further threats. When it found none, it licked its chapped lips and poised itself above Roji's neck.

"Ffffinally…." it hissed as it drooled, thick droplets trickling down its chin and onto the first-clerk's throat, "my feassst… has arriived…."

As the vile serpent continued to revel in its victory, its prey began to cry. Roji thought about how useless he really was, how foolish he was not to run, and how he'd die because of it. But most of all, he thought about what a disappointment he was to Muhyo. Guilt diminished the remaining pieces of Roji's hope as he realized what bad terms he had left the executor with. Every word he remembered yelling at him brought another tear past his closing eyelids.

Muhyo probably hates me now. Roji watched the ghost slowly come closer with a foggy view and a heavy heart. You were right, Miyu… Muhyo would never save me…

_I'm sorry… Muhyo…_


	8. Sacrifices

Roji ceased his labored breathing as he realized that this was his end. He hoped that Yoichi would take care of Muhyo in his place and imagined how much easier things would be for his boss that way.

He tried to refrain from being too conscious of the ghost so that when it started devouring him, he wouldn't suffer too much. Roji had some difficulty, however, because it was taking the ghoul quite a while to take a first bite. He opened his eyes a smidgen and saw huge, iron hands coming up from the ground. They squeezed the serpent so firmly that it's body appeared to pop and its blood splattered all over Roji's face.

"Article 382… For the crimes of unlawful entry… and bodily injury…"

Roji's cloudy eyes flickered to the other side of the room where Muhyo stood, heaving in deep breaths and leaning against the wall for support. They widened at his exhausted, determined expression as Roji realized how much effort it took the executor to reach him.

_Muhyo?! What's he doing here? He doesn't have enough energy to sentence anything!_

Muhyo chuckled at his assistant's worried expression. _He should be worrying about himself._

"I sentence you to Hades' Grasping Hand!"

With that, the heavy iron hands fell through the floor, the wailing ghost going down with them. Muhyo coughed into his sleeve, disapprovingly observing the dark red stains that covered it after the innocent action. Roji was oblivious as he felt the venom disappearing from his bloodstream and could feel his limbs again, allowing them to fall freely to his front. He was still out of tempering though, and made no attempt to move.

Muhyo was in a similarly deprived state, and expected himself to fall over more often than naught as he limped to his assistant.

"Roji!" He placed his book onto the moist floor as he checked the damage done to his assistant. Blood covered almost every inch of Roji's tired face, but Muhyo couldn't find more than a small incision on his shoulder. "Are you alright? What did she do to you?"

Muhyo dragged Roji's torpid form to the nearest wall and propped him up against it, searching for anymore injuries. He slowed down his breathing as he found none, and spoke as loudly as his tired breath would let him. "Roji! Roji, answer me!"

Roji fought the desire to fall asleep and fully opened his eyes to show Muhyo that he was fine, just exhausted. The executor looked into them, speculating their honesty. He finally convinced himself that the first-clerk was healthy and gave a long, heavy sigh. "You fool! You could have been killed, had I not arrived soon enough! Seriously, you're a lot more trouble than you're worth."

Roji watched the tattered executor before him struggle to keep himself upright and realized that neither of them would be so worn out if Roji hadn't run off in the first place. Despite the fighting that took place just before and the turmoil that Muhyo knew laid ahead, he still came to his aid. Roji finally knew Muhyo would always be there for him, and Miyu couldn't have been more wrong.

His arms flew around Muhyo to hug him, awkwardly fastening his arms to his sides. Muhyo squirmed in his grasp and Roji only tightened it in response, burying his face deeper into his chest.

Muhyo opened his mouth to scold and shoo his assistant away, but quickly shut it when he heard a sniffle come from the trembling boy.

"I'm so sorry… for causing all this trouble." Roji said as he inhaled, two brief gasps replacing the steady stream of air he wished for instead. He hid his teary eyes in the fabric of Muhyo's uniform and proceeded. "I'm sorry for being so useless. I'm such an awful assistant… I promise, I-"

"That's enough."

Muhyo slipped his arms out from Roji's tight hold and rested them on the clerk's shoulders. With eyes that hooked onto hazel irises, Muhyo responded, "Hee hee. Useless? If you were really useless, I'd be dead by now. And if you were an awful assistant, why the heck would I go through all this trouble to save you, idiot?"

Roji sniffed and chortled at Muhyo's blunt, laudatory response. "I guess so…" he confirmed.

Muhyo sighed and Roji pulled him closer as if he wasn't already holding him firmly enough. The executor patted his assistant lightly to let him know that he wished to be released. Roji obliged, retracting from the unexpected but appreciated show of affection with more energy than he woke with. Muhyo left it with his mood lifted, but his tempering was still close to nothing.

"C'mon." Muhyo slowly turned around and began walking towards the exit. "It's about time we got back to the office."

"Alright." Roji pushed himself up, but froze before he stood fully. He spoke with an unsteady voice, "Um, Muhyo?"

"Yeah?"

"I-if the ghost is gone, how come this place is still covered in flesh?"

Out of nowhere, the cavern began to shake. The ground fell asunder piece by piece beneath them, and soon after they were both scrimmaged into ubiquitous darkness.

~Ω~

The duo flailed their limbs desperately, each with his own reasons. Roji fought against the harsh winds to grab hold of his executor as tears were extracted from his eyes. Muhyo stretched forward as far as he could, unintentionally flipping multiple times as he tried to reach his book. Its flittering pages caught onto the currents and gradually lifted the text further and further away from Muhyo's grasping hands.

Muhyo snapped his head to his struggling assistant, the fierceness in his expression showing the urgency of his demand as he pointed to the distant book above them. Roji pointed to his cape, silently inquiring why he couldn't just open it to help him reach it.

Roji read the dreadful response in Muhyo's cold smile. If you don't stay close, you'll hit the bottom sooner than you think.

Roji looked ahead and tried to keep his eyes open long enough to get a glimpse of what he was talking about. He saw a faint blue light in the distance, highlighting the sharp, glistening rocks below them. The stones were approaching fast and Roji knew there was no way they'd both survive, even if he attempted to fall beneath Muhyo. The stalactites would pierce right through him, impaling Muhyo as well.

Roji hurriedly waved Muhyo away. He had to get to that book, no matter what. Muhyo's eyes widened dramatically as he saw the stones in greater detail than he'd ever hope to, and opened his cape swiftly. He shot upwards, his determination to come in contact with the hard, leather covered book amplified tenfold. Roji watched him, silently rooting him on and readying himself to assist the executor when needed. He pried his eyes away only when he saw Muhyo grab the book and fling it open. Roji reluctantly turned his head back to the jagged earth and watched the alarming rate at which it approached them.

"Muhyo, hurry! The rocks!"

"Shut up, I know!" Muhyo frantically flipped through the pages, looking for the appropriate contract.

Roji's pounding heart felt like it was about to burst until suddenly, everything slowed down. Roji adjusted his arms so that the wind would twist his body to face the executor. Roji knew Muhyo only had time to save himself, and that was enough for him. He smiled at the executor whose dark eyes screamed at him, scolding him for trying to give up so soon despite the odds. He saw his mouth moving and wasn't quite sure whether it was meant for him or the envoy he was summoning.

Roji sighed, bothered that he was completely helpless. There was no longer anything he could do to continue his job as first-clerk. Muhyo's fate rested in his own hands and Roji knew he was capable of saving himself and escaping from the darkness.

He closed his hazel eyes slowly and spread out his sore arms. The scattered gusts beat upon his bruised body continuously, but Roji paid them no attention. He instead focused on more pleasant thoughts, tears of happiness lifting from his cheeks as he recalled how easily his friend had forgiven him.

A small smile graced his battered features as he felt the first pointed slab tear through his shirt.

_Thank you, Muhyo. _


	9. Barely Alive

Darkness. There was only darkness.

It was a place even the light feared to explore, so it never came.

The boy could not open his eyes. He could not speak. He couldn't feel what was around him, nor could he use the various scents that surrounded him to assist his conjectures. His ears were of some use, catching familiar, muffled tones that glided closer and rose in volume.

Was he dead? Was this a sort of sadistic joke played on him for revenge?

Despite these deplorable inquiries that swirled around in his sedated mind, the boy was not unsettled. He knew that he only needed to wait. He had no doubt in his partner's infallible loyalty or his diligence. He knew he'd survive even without the executor's expertise.

So the boy waited. He waited to be extracted from the overlapping shadows and back into full consciousness. He waited to rejoin his friend and continue their work as executor and assistant. He waited to rectify what had gone wrong and make it all up to his faithful companion.

He waited to remove all traces of malice hidden within their imperfections and to earn the mercy of his kind, faithful, perfect assistant.

~Ω~

The first thing Roji noticed was the rough, icy ground and the freezing, still air that his clothes could not block out.

He opened his eyes, prying his swollen lids from frozen tears and looking around with chattering teeth. The assistant found that he was on his side, resting on what appeared to be shimmering ice. Roji slowly brought his hand forth to touch the ground, his arm quivering all the way. Its texture was unpleasant as the uneven surface held sharp points that made Roji's fingers flinch back when they dug into them too deeply.

The first-clerk repressed his displeasure as he pressed his hand flat against the ground to lift himself up into a kneeling position. He noticed that his fingertips had an unnaturally blue hue and his knuckles were cracked and bleeding. His eyelids twitched constantly with desire to close again, but Roji continued to observe his surroundings, searching for anything that could identify his current location.

The environment was ethereal. The pointed rocks glimmered and glowed in some unseen source of cyan light. The dark stone beneath him mimicked their actions, imitating the clear, starry sky Roji would gaze at when he had trouble sleeping in the late hours of the night.

_Where am I…?_

Shoes shuffled against the coarse rock and rolling pebbles beneath them as the assistant stood on shaking legs coated in dirt and gore. The blood stains on his pants appeared black in the mysterious light. Roji stared at them, digging for clues within the ominous signs. _What is this place? How did I get here? Where's…_

Roji's memories rushed back to him all at once.

* * *

_"Damn it, Roji!" Muhyo roared as he forced more tempering into the book, urging his envoy to hurry. Yuri's solicitous gaze was harshly rejected by the falling boy, and the creature soared over to Roji._

* * *

Roji jumped up and sidestepped rapidly to keep himself from falling. He twisted his neck and body in every possible direction, desperately battling the stiffness of his body.

* * *

_His arms bashed into his back, temporarily stunning the assistant. Yuri carefully tugged him off of the pointed stone as his blood streamed down regardless of the tender treatment. Roji let out a long, deep breath he never knew he was holding._

* * *

Roji's quickening breath came out in short, visible clouds that faded in the chilled air as he failed to find any traces of his boss. His hyperventilation stopped suddenly when he found a motionless body on the ground a short way ahead of him.

* * *

_Muhyo attempted to do the same but was interrupted by a burst of blood abruptly gushing from his mouth. The executor's wide eyes flickered over the sticky, warm substance that coated his hands before passing out._

* * *

The assistant stood frozen in place. His shoulders had ceased their uncontrollable shaking for the time being, allowing Roji to dedicate his undivided attention to the executor's lifeless form. Muhyo's back was turned to him, his navy cape coiled around his small body. The book rested next to him with splayed pages that were stained by the black ink that flowed from Muhyo's hidden face.

* * *

_Yuri watched as the book released itself from Muhyo's tense grip and he hurried to catch the boy. Once he fell onto Roji's torso with a dull thud that echoed throughout the cavern, the envoy tossed the two away from the hazardous stones before Muhyos' book closed, sending him back home._

* * *

"Muhyo…?" Roji called out quietly, unable to find the strength in his voice. The rubber soles of his shoes tapped the glistening earth that failed to glow beneath the motionless shadow of the executor. He stilled with an odd expression on his face, allowing everything to sink in.

* * *

_They collided with the rugged ground, tumbling apart from one another. The pain and lack of oxygen obscured Roji's cognizance, leaving only one clear thought in his fleeting consciousness._

* * *

"MUHYO!"

Roji dashed over to him, ignoring the ruined book as he lifted his friend into his arms. Tears streaked down the assistant's cheeks and onto Muhyo's as he sobbed his name over and over again. The boy's face, covered in scrapes and bruises of various shapes and tones, was also smeared with his own blood that seemed to flow endlessly. He didn't appear to be breathing, either.

"Muhyo, please, please! Answer me!" He shook the limp body repeatedly, watching Muhyo's closed eyes for any signs of a response. Nothing.

"No…" he whispered with a quivering voice. He couldn't lose him now. He refused. Roji quickly lowered the executor to the ground and held his wrist. He whimpered when he couldn't find a pulse, the dismal realization evoking immediate action.

He pinched the executor's nose gently and prepared to pump air into his lungs when a faint, yet visible cloud drifted onto Roji's face. The assistant froze as the fog graced his cheeks, and rose his head slowly. It could have just been the blood on Muhyo's face, its fading warmth causing steady steam to rise and disappear within the crisp atmosphere. Soon after, however, another breath floated from between Muhyo's chapped lips.

Roji exhaled heavily before taking in another deep breath and pressing his ear against the tarnished cloth above Muhyo's heart. It was almost inaudible, but with Roji's perseverance he was able to hear a consistent beat.

"Oh, thank goodness…" His worried expression relaxed as he released the air from his lungs, the long breath swirling and disappearing before him. He unfolded his legs and turned his hips so that he lay totally on his side, allowing the tense muscles to rest as he continued crying anyway. Tears spilled from his eyes and onto Muhyo's shirt as he remained still and listened to the soothing rhythm of the executor's heartbeat.

Loud shuffling crudely interrupted the silence, forcing Roji to lift his head curiously. In the distance, he discerned a faint silhouette in the mist. Two of them, actually, as the one walking towards them was holding someone. Roji squinted at the odd presence and stood up with Muhyo in his arms. He hesitated before deciding to call out to them.

"Hello? Who's there?" Roji winced when his cracking voice echoed loudly. The faded figures stopped their progression. They remained still for a moment before continuing forward. Roji pried for an answer, "Are you guys hurt? What are you doing here?"

Whoever else inhabited the freezing cave began walking in a faster pace until they were jogging towards Roji, the body in his or her arms shaking with every step. "Oh, thank goodness!" said a girl with short black hair that had been disheveled during her relentless journey down. Her melancholy, desperate countenance aroused strong feelings of empathy from the assistant, who was also terribly stressed from all the confusion.

He lowered his shoulders and tensed up again once he saw the bleeding girl in her arms. "What happened?"

She choked back a sob and reiterated her story, and Roji realized that she was the one who had called for his help. He didn't remember seeing her face before, however. "It was terrible," she sniffled and looked down to her unconscious friend. "W-when I found her, that thing had her tongue embedded in her sh-shoulder, and was sucking her blood."

Roji parted his lips to suggest tying up the wound when he recalled his encounter with the same ghost. He didn't want to, but the mention of a tongue triggered the string of memories involving the voracious fiend.

"But… it had no tongue."

The brunette brought her teary eyes away from her dying friend and back to Roji, who looked into them with suspicion. He took a deep breath and repeated, "The ghost had no tongue. It came after me and I had more than enough time to see that."

The brunette stayed still and remained unblinking, despite the irritating ice that formed from the moisture in her eyes. The assistant took a step back, protectively tightening his hold on the executor. Suddenly, she started to laugh. An innocent giggle escalated into cackling that reverberated throughout the cave and seemed to grow louder every time it bounced off of the pointed pillars. Roji took another step back, unnerved by the girl's mirth.

She tilted her head downwards as her laughter settled. She blinked away the ice from her lashes, the frozen particles floating away and fading. "Oh, yeah. That's thing wasn't what got her."

Her head snapped up, revealing pitch black eyes and sharp teeth. "I was."


	10. An Unexpected Ghoul

The red-head opened her eyes.

_Damn!_

Roji immediately dodged to his left as the girl in the enemy's arms lunged forward, her mouth opened so wide that her cheeks tore apart. Roji caught a glimpse of elongated, uneven teeth behind the torn flesh and saw that her eyes were as black as her companion's. He inscribed a ward of binding and prepared to toss it at her, but when he noticed that she never collided with the ground, he knew he was up against something much more powerful.

The red-head's torso was meters away from her bottom half. Her innards were hideously deformed into some gooey black substance that kept her upright. Black blood seeped out from every crevice and dripped onto the cold stone, covering their glistening light with gruesome clots. Roji's attention went to the other girl, whose hip was pulsating with the same dark flesh. She smiled with crooked teeth and hissed, "Get her, Cera!"

Cera twirled back around, aiming for the fresh wound on Roji's back. He jumped out of the way, barely missing the pointed teeth. However, he lost his balance and promptly fell right onto the injury, more blood spewing from it.

"Agh! Mu-" Roji tensed up even more as he looked down at the torpid form he held. _Muhyo can't fight!_

Roji was at a total loss. His only hope was still unconscious and losing blood at a rapid pace. He couldn't move freely due to the hindrance that was his exhausted body. The ghoul was definitely too powerful for him to take on alone. Roji tried to think of any advice his partner had given him that fit such circumstances. The sound of the creatures' every movement bounced off the starry stones and their cackling even more so. Roji decided then that he'd have to give himself his own advice.

_Run._

He tossed a ward of dissipation to distract the two-headed spirit, who screeched when it blasted in their faces. He fled to a group of jagged pillars, making sure that the spirits were still dazed before going further in. Roji quickly placed Muhyo out of harm's way, making sure that he was in a comfortable position despite the rough terrain. He sighed, taking a last look at his boss before turning away.

"Hey, idiot."

Roji whirled around and watched as Muhyo struggled to keep his torso upright. He was panting heavily and looked like he was ready to pass out. "What do you think you're doing?"

Roji smiled grimly. "Fighting. To keep us safe."

"Hee h-" Blood spurted from his mouth and he shot forward, coughing violently. Roji scurried over to Muhyo, dropping his pen beside him and catching the executor's head before it could fall. He sat the boy upright and patted his back lightly, checking his expression for signs of pain. Muhyo's eyes darkened and he made a smile that was more of a grimace.

"You're going to die."

Roji paused, then laughed lightly. "I know."

He stood up and turned his back to Muhyo. "But at least you won't."

"Roji-!"

Roji ran into the ghosts' sights once more and took a defensive stance; he was ready to defend himself and Muhyo. He was ready to make up for all the times when he was considered useless. He was ready to learn to become a better assistant, starting with this.

He was ready to remove all traces of malice hidden within their imperfections and to earn the mercy of his powerful, brave, perfect executor.


End file.
